Ultimatum
by a raindrop of sunshine
Summary: The pressures of school is hard enough, and to top that with being a greaser, a soldier of the misfit army against the socs, and an overbearing brother breathing down your neck every damn second of the day that never seems to quit his pestering orders, the pressure to be something out of nothing is a difficult feat and can be a bit much for one 14yearold kid to handle.


Sum: The pressures of school is hard enough, and to top that with being a greaser, a soldier of the misfit army against the socs, a disappointment to society for being a 'delinquent', and an overbearing brother breathing down your neck every damn second of the day that never seems to quit his pestering orders, and that his good isn't good enough for his eldest brother, the pressure to be something out of nothing is a difficult feat and can be a bit much for one 14yearold kid. to handle.

Ponyboy trudged up his front walkway, gripping his books in his right hand at his side. His day was brutal and it started off even worse. He'd barely gotten any sleep the night before courtesy of the gang rip roaring downstairs over some card game and the volume on the damn T.V. didn't help any either. Track practice really kicked his ass thanks to his coach giving them seven more laps for each person that was late for practice which he was one of them; he was so exhausted he was just catching up to tired. And good ol' reliable Two-Bit said he'd pick him up after practice, but never showed hence why the auburn had to trek all the way home all by his lonesome. His homework load would take him at least two hours to get through, not to mention the fact that he still had chores to do that he didn't get to this morning which he knew Darry would ream him out for forgetting to do it. Managing to reach the screen door without collapsing took him by surprise, he clambered his way into the living room and fell to the couch. Finally he could get some rest.

"Where have you been!?" Darry growled as he stomped into the living room.

"Track practice." Ponyboy groaned, curling up on the couch.

"For three hours?" Darry hissed, his hands on his hips as he bore holes into his brother with his stare.

"Two-Bit didn't pick me up." Ponyboy sighed, his daily interrogation ensued.

"So you walked home?" Darry asked, Pony nodded in reply. "Why didn't you call?" Darry asked with a hint of venom to his voice.

"Didn't have any Nickels to phone the house. Wasn't it you who said we had to save our money?" Ponyboy gritted out, why couldn't Darry just leave him alone? He was home, wasn't that enough?

"Don't get wise with me." Darry warned.

"I'm not gettin' wise." Ponyboy retorted with an edge to his tone.

"Hey Ponyboy!" Soda piped in as he stepped into the living room from the kitchen, hoping to snuff out any fight that was about to kindle between the two.

"Get your chores done that you _forgot_ to do this morning, then start your homework, I don't need another one of your teachers callin' me up 'cause you forgot to do that too." Darry hissed, heading back into the kitchen.

"I don't get why while you were waitin' up for me you couldn't of done the chores yourself since you were waitin' so long." Ponyboy growled out as he sat up on the couch.

"What was that?" Darry gritted as he stepped back into the living room.

"Nothing." Ponyboy grumbled, his eyes side cast as his brother stood over him.

"I asked what you said, not what you knew." Darry snarled, "If you can't say it to my face, then don't say it to my back, kid." Darry spat. "I don't need any of your lip." Darry growled. "While I bust my ass to keep this entire house under control and making sure you guys are fed, staying out of trouble and safe! You have it easy here!" Darry's voice rose in volume as Ponyboy's temper rose in anger. "You're job is to go to school, and get good grades, how hard is that?" Darry chuckled, almost bewildered by the fact that his brother was struggling.

"Why so I can graduate, go to collage get a good job just to come back and support your asses; become the family's bread winner, you're little show pony!" Ponyboy shouted back at Darry, his fists clenched tight as he glared up at his older brother.

"I'm fine with that." Soda said jokingly, trying to lighten the mood only causing Ponyboy to nearly tip off the deep end.

"It's either school or out! If you cant handle my rules then leave!" Darry snarled in Pony's face. Ponyboy glared back at Darry, shoving himself off of the couch and storming off to his and Soda's room.

"Geeez, Dar, ya gotta lay off 'im." Soda said with a shake of his head.

"If the kid didn't have his head up in lala land, maybe he would see what the hell we have to go through to get the damn bills paid." Darry gritted out. Their attention was brought to rapid steps down the stairs, Ponyboy had a duffle bag packed tight.

"Where the hell are you going?!" Darry snapped as Pony nearly ripped the door off of it's hinges as he yanked it open.

"I'm leaving what the hell does it look like?" Ponyboy gritted out with a glare before taking off out of the house. Ponyboy's feet pounded against the pavement like he wanted to break it. To break away from it all, he wanted an escape. His lungs burned from his ragged breathing as his emotions got the best of him, his throat swelled with sobs.

"Pony! Wait!" Soda yelled as he tried to take off after the kid, but the Pony was already down about two blocks before Soda could even get down to the end of their cracked walkway. "What the hell!?" Soda shouted at Darry as he stormed back into the house.

"I gave him a god damn ultimatum, I didn't know he'd fucking take it! The kid doesn't think!" Darry shouted back.

"You always say that about him, and so you go and fucking say that! It seems like to me that you're really the one that doesn't think around here Darry!" Soda hissed before storming off to his room.


End file.
